Yes, summer is a great,fun time of year in Edmonds. The Waterfront Festival, Edmonds Arts Festival, Jazz Connection and the 4th of July Celebration are over, but there is more to come: the Summer Market; Taste Edmonds; Concerts in the Park, Hazel Miller Plaza, and Waterfront; great shopping; outstanding restaurants with outside dining; and with the kid's on summer vacation, activities galore in our parks and at the waterfront.

I hope the summer is a time for your family to gather. This summer my family will gather for my wife's family reunion and for a week or so, my three adult children will be in our home, together for the first time in four years!

On June 7 approximately fifty people attended a presentation by Annette Roth from the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) outlining its recently enacted Certified Creative District program.

The City of Edmonds is among twenty-plus communities who have expressed interest in applying for this new certification. Hoping to be at the head of the application line, this past spring City Economic Development Director Patrick Doherty and City Arts & Culture Manager Frances Chapin worked with the Arts Commission, the Economic Development Commission, AdvisArts consultant Claudia Bach, and a group of community stakeholders to explore ideas for the application. The Community Meeting on June 7 was an opportunity for others in the community to provide input regarding general goals and strategies for the proposed Creative District. An overview of the program was presented at City Council on June 26.

Creative District Certification recognizes compact, walkable areas with a mix of businesses, nonprofits, venues, programs and activities within the “creative sector.” Definition of the creative sector includes graphic design, restaurants, breweries, creative technology, coffee shops, travel businesses, and many other entities in addition to traditional arts and culture activities and venues. Downtown Edmonds appears to be a strong candidate for the designation, but the application process includes developing goals and strategies for a five-year program to enhance the creative sector, and this is where public input has been key to the application.

According to Roth, benefits of the certification include enhancing accessibility to arts and culture, supporting small business growth and economic mobility, and enhancing livability of a community. Next steps in the process include a Resolution at City Council in support of the designation, and final submission of the full application to the State. The selection process for the first round of certifications is scheduled to take place by the end of the year. For more information contact patrick.doherty@edmondswa.gov or frances.chapin@edmondswa.gov . For information about the Creative District program, go to: https://www.arts.wa.gov/arts-in-communities/certified-creative-districts

The City of Edmonds is on the path to ban plastic straws, plastic utensils, and plastic stir sticks offered by businesses to their customers. The official ban itself will come into effect in very early 2020. Currently the affected businesses are being encouraged to start a policy of offering alternatives to these plastic items and only upon request. Right now the only exception to receiving an alternative straw is for any person who, through disability or medical condition, requires a flexible straw for their needs.

The momentum across the nation and the globe, to ban plastic straws and other single-use plastics is growing strong. Edmonds joins this movement and will become the first city in Snohomish County to make this first step to decreasing single-use plastic use and the potential pollution these items cause. The City of Seattle has already enacted its ban on plastic straws and utensils as of July 1.

The switch for businesses to only offer the alternative items upon request may be viewed as simple and easy to do or may be challenging for others. Customers of the affected businesses can help by rethinking their need for an automatic straw added to their drink order. The best alternative is using no straw at all. The waste prevention impact is huge. The potential for those single-use items to become litter and cause problems, is greatly diminished.

If you have any questions or wish to recognize any Edmonds business that is already leading the way by only offering upon demand, email to recycleguy@edmondswa.gov.

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